Image credit: Emily Dougan (Donor Republic)
You have two choices this February, South Australia.
They’ll require a lot of effort, a lot of heart and they’ll both help a lot of people.
Pick Febfast, and you can give up a vice of your choice for the whole month, along with raising funds for critical drug and alcohol, education and youth leadership programs.
Choose Febfit, you can get moving for 25 minutes a day to help young people walk away from addiction.
Across Australia, thousands of people take on the 28-day challenge for the month of February to raise funds for young people experiencing serious disadvantage, in order to access the resources and support they require to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
However, for Higher Sobriety author Jill Stark and 2023 Ambassador, it’s an opportunity to reflect.
Febfast is drawing attention to the importance of early intervention services for young people with substance dependence, according to Stark.
“What a lot of Australians don’t know, is that Victoria is currently the only state in the country with a comprehensive and fully integrated ‘youth alcohol and other drug’ service system. It’s baffling considering most people’s relationship with alcohol or drugs starts before the age of 18.”
“I look back at me when I was 14 and first started experimenting with alcohol. I was a painfully self-conscious teen, desperate to fit in.
“Like many teens, drinking was also a way to numb the first signs of anxiety and depression.
“My story isn’t uncommon, but it is one of privilege. I was lucky to have a supportive family, a safe place to live, and a financially stable background. Without that, my trajectory could have been very different,” Stark said.
Stark knows she’s not alone, as half of all mental health conditions in adulthood emerge by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24.
The latest ABS report on alcohol consumption finds that one-in-four Australians aged 18 years and over are binge drinkers, with the average Australian having had their first drink at 16.1 years of age.
Another one-in-four (26 per cent) of Australians aged 18 to 24 experience a mental health condition, including substance-use disorders in any given year, and 37 per cent of young people have experienced drug-related harm before.
YSAS CEO, Andrew Bruun said that the young people the health service is supporting are facing unimaginable journeys, often dealing with neglect, trauma, violence and homelessness. However, they also have incredible resilience when given the tools and support to overcome addiction and take control of their future. This is why early intervention is so critical.
“YSAS is the first ‘youth alcohol and other drug’ service of its kind in Australia, which has been operating since 1998 and has supported 60,000 young people over the past 25 years,” Bruun said.
Funds raised by Febfast participants support critical YSAS services and programs that provide:
- Physical & mental health support
- Detox & rehabilitation services
- Education & employment services
- Outreach services
- Secure safe housing
- Support with family relationships & connection building
Donations are still open to the Febfast campaign at www.febfast.org.au.
